Nordmar
Nordmar Nordmar is a vast Kingdom, but very sparsely populated. Nordmar doesn't offer great trade opportunities or anything of the like, but they are paid very well by the other Kingdoms for their services in keeping the Goblinoids and other source-ridden creatures from coming down from the North Pole. Nordmar is rarely credited as being the Kingdom that first discovered the Source Lands, and even fewer people know that Nordmar owns a colony that has remained part of Nordmar, which is found furthest to the North of the Source Lands. Nordmar has a warrior culture and a history of piracy and barbarism, but eventually new technology helped Nordmar grow fertile crops in their own land, and this lead them to focus more on trade, agriculture and fishing. That and of course mercenary work. Military The Bjornin is the only Nordmarian Tribe which has a history of keeping a larger organized army, though some paramilitary groups do exist - they are more akin to mercenaries or actual bandits, however. In late Nordmarian history, it did become common to maintain small amounts of professional armed forces, but until these times, Nordmarians mainly operated with the concept of a personal retinue forces. = Retinue = In Nordmar, a retinue is called a "hird" and does not consist of men-at-arms, but of Huskarls. Huskarls are more akin to personal enforcers and bodyguards rather than protectors of the Lords lands, because an actual militia handles these duties, though a Hird is also not used in the same capacity as a Knight, because they do not lead men into battle. The closest equivalent is a House-Hold Guard, but even this doesn't quite meet the standard for what a Hird is used for. A Huskarl lies between a man-at-arms and a knight in both ability and responsibility. They are not skilled tacticians and commanders like a Knight, but they are traditionally far more elite fighters than a man-at-arms, typically choosing their own equipment and not fighting in any particularly organized fashion. The ability to hold a retinue falls to anyone who legitimately believes that they can afford to do so. A retinue man must be granted a plot of land which is his during his service, though falls to his family in case he falls in combat, and traditionally stays in the family if the son takes over the duties of the father. A retinue man who is crippled, wounded or becomes elderly must further more be allowed to live on that plot of land until death claims him and his spouse. Any underage children left behind by a retinue man must be taken as wards by he who holds the retinue. Retinue men are otherwise unpaid, and there is no rule about what kind of training they must formally have or what kind of equipment they are supposed to be granted. Some regions have their own local traditions - in Bjornin Lands, Huskarls are practically a mirror-image of Southern Knights, where as they look more like mismatch mercenaries in the rest of Nordmar. A huskarl must own a sword, so if someone wishes to name someone a Huskarl and neither are in possession of a sword, the would-be huskarl is considered a Hirdman until such time when this is remedied. = Nordmarian Legion = All Nordmarian men are, when they turn 15, trained in the Nordmarian Legion, the only organized military that exists in Nordmar. The Legion formally resides in Bjornin Lands, in a large fort by the border, but through-out Nordmarian history, they have historically only been trained there, after which they were sent to serve somewhere else for the duration of their conscription. = Gett (Organized Militia) = One able-bodied man from every house-hold of a settlement must further more take up arms with the Gett, which is a full-time position, but is unpaid and Gett members are traditionally required to supply their own equipment (though its not uncommon for the local rulers to maintain an armory for militia members or donate equipment to them). All able-bodied men can be called upon to defend the village, as anyone who has served in the legion is permanently draft-able, and all able-bodied Nordmarian men are conscripted upon coming of age. The organized militia serves as a settlement guard (they are effectively guards), but if the local rulers have left with their retinue of huskarls, that means the militia is the only force capable of moving out and dealing with local threats, etc., which would essentially leave the settlement undefended. Members of the Gett who do not own a sword are considered Oathmen rather than Soldiers. Being an Oathmen is sort of regarded as being a civilian almost, and is fairly embarrassing. = Shield-Maidens = All able-bodied Nordmarian Women are trained by the local militia forces when they come of age. All households that can (in so far that there is a woman who is able-bodied in the household); must supply a "Shield-Maiden" to the defense of the settlement. A shield-maiden is a woman who holds a shield in the Shield-Wall on behalf of her household - her house-shield. Just because a woman isn't chosen to be a shield-maiden, doesn't mean she isn't trained for the eventuality of having to take up a shield. The purpose of the Shield-Maidens is that they take over the duties of a settlement's Gett, if the Gett is required elsewhere, as women traditionally rarely leave their respective settlements. = Unorganized Militia = The general purpose "unorganized" militia consists of any man who remains able-bodied and has returned from conscription, but does not serve in the Gett or as a Retinue member or higher status, and any able-bodied woman who has been trained, who is not a shield-maiden or wed to someone of the ruling caste or a direct relative of a retinue member or higher. Knighthood Knighthood is not a prevalent tradition of Nordmar. The Bjornin Tribe has made several attempts at instating it, and this has resulted in some historical entries of actual Knights of Nordmar, and there remains a Nordmarian Order of Knights, which is very small and is almost exclusively made up of members of the Bjornin Tribe, though it doesn't fit into the social Order of Nordmar at all, and exists primarily for international reasons. The Nordmarian Holy Order is another organization that, on paper appears as chivalric order devoted to defending the faith of Nordmar, but this is purely diplomatic feint, and a construct. The actual Holy Order of Nordmar doesn't exist - the Ravna Tribe employs a number of warriors whom they refer to as, if loosely translated; "Blood-letters", and the majority of these men are not even aware that they are documented as Knights formally, nor do they in any capacity live up to any semblence of chivalric ideals Nordmarian Huskarls are fairly close to the concept of Southern Landed-Knights, but again falls short. Huskarls are a closer equivalent to men-at-arms. The Berserker is perhaps the closest equivalent to a Knight, but considering that any given Nordmarian Lord only ever employs ONE Berserker, it is clearly something even more special and elite than a Knight. Berserkers are are required to successfully hunt and slay a Nordmarian Brown-Bear (a huge bear) in personal combat, while bare-chested and equipped with a melee-weapon (typically a short-spear). They wear an outfit (a uniform of sorts) designed from the bears fur, claws, teeth and possibly bones too, tailored specifically to the individual berserker. Berserkers act as military advisors, heralds and assistants to their Lords - and more importantly as their Champions. That said, Berserkers are not guaranteed to have any qualifications that make them comparable to a Knight. Nobility and Social Hierarchy In Nordmar, anyone who claims and holds a sizeable portion of land is titled "Lord" out of respect, but actual nobility in Nordmar is a confusing size, because the very concept of nobility goes against Nordmarian beliefs, making it confusing how it could exist. The answer lies in Nordmarian Tribal Traditions and Clan Heritage. Nordmarians are religiously inclined to believe heavily in the fact that their ancestors await them in the afterlife, and that all they do during their actual lives, is merely to prove themselves worthy for the afterlife. As such, they are very obsessed with legacy and heritage, and this leads them to their rigid Clan society. All the tribes have a number of Clans, who are believed to be the original "families" (or perhaps in reality villages or just allied people) who came together and formed the respective tribes. The clans are typically geographically locked, and so are the tribes for the most part, and this creates the basis for a system so similar to traditional feudal nobility that it might very well be one and the same. The difference is, a Nordmarians are somewhat less individualistic. The Jarl doesn't own the land, the Clan does, but the Jarl leads the clan, and as such he administers the land. Another major difference is that there is a level of prevalent democracy in Nordmar. King must listen to his Drotts, the Drotts must listen to their Jarls, the Jarls must listen to their Thaynes and Chieftains and they must in turn listen to their Ealdormen who listen to their Venar. Decisions are made through thing-councils, though the nobility still have a lot of personal discretionary power. = Slaves = In Nordmar, a Gelding (no translation needed - an infertile and impotent man, done so by surgery most often) is a man who has no worth and is considered as if he was property, and a skaekja (whore) is the female equivalent. These individuals are not regarded as individuals in Nordmar and have no right to form opinions or do anything of their own volution unless instructed with this liberty. Geldings are often used as servants, where as Skaekja (as the name suggests) serve a more carnal purpose. Thralls are captured slaves who were free but have had their freedom taken away, and are usually used for manual labor, but are not otherwise typically raped or mutilated. This would be particularly uncommon and considered a dishonorable action in Nordmar. Indentured servants exit in Nordmar, most are serfs. Often the result of crime, and essentially the way the crime is repaid. = Outcasts = The word "Nithing" (in Nordmarian meaning - literally "nothing") describes someone who has no belonging or allegiance. Its not directly an insult, but it basically denotes that a specific person simply isn't important. Nithings are said not to be recognized by their ancestors unless they manage to obtain extreme public recognition, but Nordmarians believe firmly in legacy, heritage and territory. As such, one can never be fully recognized in Nordmar without these things. There isn't specifically anything wrong with being a Nithing, but a Nithing is not eligible for marriage and cannot own land. They're basically forced into a life of some sort of servitude. Most Nithings are unclaimed bastards or orphans who grow up with wards who do not, for what ever reason, decide to adopt them. = Skjoldung = When Nordmarian turns ten, they're expected to work strongly towards obtaining all that comes with being regarded as a recognized and respected "adult"- or a Skjoldung. The word Adult doesn't quite do the concept justice, as adult merely denotes a grown person who is capable of moderate levels of independence. Skjoldung means a person who bears a shield, and it means that the household that the individual belongs to is now regarding the person as being a representative of the household, and thus, worthy of bearing their shield, which is a powerful symbol in Nordmar. A Skjoldung is also eligible for marriage. Before a person is named Skjoldung, their word is not worth anything, and their actions are largely without consequences. Someone who isn't yet a Skjoldung cannot be held responsible to a degree which can yield more than reasonable recompense and their actions cannot be seen as representative of the household. Thus, an honorable feud cannot be started by someone who is not yet a Skjoldung. Before becoming a Skjoldung, a person in Nordmarian Society is the actual property of what ever household they belong to, and cannot actually leave the household legally. They're not essentially regarded as children, but they're not their own people either. Becoming a Skjoldung can happen in several ways, either an individual declares that they are a Skjoldung now, and will face any challengers against the argument at the thing. Alternatively, a person can have someone declare that they are Skjoldung on their behalf and simply vouch for them. This is typically only possible if at least two respectable households come together and both declare this at the thing, and even then is only done with explicit promises. Finally, the Venar of the household which the prospective Skjoldung is from can nominate the prospective Skjoldung for assessment by the thing, and the Skjoldung must then prove that he is worthy, bringing witnesses and items to show worthiness. Women need only the sworn statement of their parents or relatives that they have passed the various trials of childhood, as well as a witness (typically their mother ) that they are in fact of age (determined by having had a period). If a woman has been promiscuous before becoming a Skjoldung, she may be be judged a skaekja (a whore) instead, at which point she becomes ineligible for marriage entirely, but this requires multiple witnesses and can be further challenged. If a family accepts the decision that their relative is a skaekja, she can be sold as if she was livestock. Men need to show various ownerships, including that they must own: a knife, an axe, a bow, flint and steel and other belongings depending on local custom and what tribe they are of. They need to undertake a proving, which shows that their physical form is at least average, they need to have completed a conscription with the Legion (if their physical form has failed as a result of war-injuries, they are disregarded) and a witness must attest to the fact that he has his manhood in order. With a man, promiscuity is not an issue, but he can be declared as dishonorable or a coward - though this is usually a very strong claim that needs severe support. A man who fails to be declared a Skjoldung, with his family not willing to take more drastic measures in securing this will be gelded. He will then be regarded as the equivalent of an item. In some rare cases, people do not need to be declared a Skjoldung (often because they strictly speaking legally cannot, due to lack of living family), but this is only true for orphans who have not been fully adopted and unclaimed bastards. No ill consequences come of this, but they simply do not gain the status associated with the decision. Such individuals can be declared "Halran" by undertaking the exact same proving, which just means that all agree that their ancestors would have let them wield their shield if this was possible. A Halran is not eligible for marriage and cannot choose to leave their household, which is the main difference, though they can still be actively released from the Household if the local thing is in agreement that they would qualify as Drengar if they were to be free. = Drengar = A Drengar is a man who has left his household (or never had one to begin with), but has not yet formed his own, who is considered as an honorable member of society. A Skjoldung is always able to decide to leave their household, and if they do so in good faith, they become regarded as Drengar. The term Drengar simply means "A good honorable person", and denotes that, though the person is now no longer part of their original household and have not yet started a new one, they are in fact NOT bandits, criminals or vagrants. To be regarded as a Drengar, the individual must retain the same amount of wealth as is expected of someone who is a Skjoldung and more. They must not beg of others or rely on hospitality, and they must not break the law to sustain themselves. Some orphans are named Drengar because their ward-families help them reclaim the property of their dead parents and then technically live on their own and might as well be declared individuals. This makes them eligible for marriage. Most Orphans and Bastards have to work extremely hard to earn this recognition. The step of becoming a Drengar is often skipped entirely, because few actually leave their households unless it is because they've started their own. = Venar = A Venar is a patrician - the head of a household. A father becomes eligible (and highly expected) to claim the title of Venar when his child is born. It is irrelevant whether the child is born into honorable conditions or not, as long as the man is granted parentage of the child and the mother acknowledges him as the father (irrelevant in this context, certainly not in the broad perspective). Mothers cannot become Venar, and it is extremely shameful when a child is born and not claimed by a father. Bastards grow up with hard futures in wait, and their mothers risk becoming marked as Skaekja. To be considered a Venar, a man must have a livelihood and a home of his own (his own hall). The requirements are not any stricter than that he must obtain ownership of a house that is separate from that of his own original household and provide for his family for a year without begging or getting outright handouts. A Venar earns a seat on the thing of the local settlement, if there is one where the Venar lives. If there is no thing, a Drengr can simply settle down and declare himself a Venar, but this would not really mean anything. = Alderman = An Alderman is the leader of any given settlement in which no higher authority resides, and the title is commonly hereditary, with the title passing through the ranks of those who were first to settle in a given location, often dating back to a Huskarl. As such, Aldermen are almost completely interchangeable with the term Ealdorman. The title of Alderman is partially hereditary, following the usual scheme of heritage in Nordmar, where typically the first born son inherits, but this far from always being the case - the Alderman can appoint anyone from the local settlement, who is also of his clan, to take the appointment. = Chieftain = A Chieftain is the Nordmarian closest equivalent to a mayor, and the two terms are almost interchangeable. A Chieftain rules a "Herad", which is defined differently than a "Shire" but effectively is the same. The title of Chieftain is not to be mistaken for "Chief" which just means "Leader" (typically in a nautical or military context). A Chieftain maintains a "Great Hall" (referred to simply as "the hall" or "a hall" etc. on a colloquial basis), which functions like a City-Hall, except its typically a defensible compound that also acts as a minor stronghold for the local armed forces and the Chieftain lives there with his family. The title of Chieftain is partially hereditary, following the usual scheme of heritage in Nordmar, where typically the first born son inherits, but this far from always being the case - the Chieftain can appoint anyone from the local Herad, who is also of his clan, to take the appointment. = Thayne = The Nordmarians do not have an equivalent of "Baron" in their social hierarchy, though anyone who owns a fortification of such size that a village can exist inside it (a castle), is referred to as a Thayne. As such, a Thayne is a rough equivalent of either a Castellan or a Baron and essentially becomes the de-facto leader of any herad his castle exists within, taking a cut from everyone for protection (a tax). This is less of an extortion racket as it sounds like, because Nordmarians. The title of Thayne is partially hereditary, following the usual scheme of heritage in Nordmar, where typically the first born son inherits, but this far from always being the case - the Thayne can appoint anyone from the local Herad, who is also of his clan, to take the appointment. = Jarl = A Jarl is the Lord of a Syssel (Sy-Siel), which is a grouping of Herads. A such, a Jarl is the rough equivalent of a Count. Jarls are particularly important noblemen, because they are also Clan Leaders. The title of Jarl is partially hereditary, following the usual scheme of heritage in Nordmar, where typically the first born son inherits, but this far from always being the case - the Jarl can appoint anyone from his clan to assume the position in his stead. = Drott = The Drott is the elected leader of a tribe - elected from among the Jarls to serve a lifetime as Drott. When a Jarl becomes Drott, he assigns someone to take over his duties as Jarl (typically the person he intends to inherit the position). The title of Drott is comparable to the title of Duke, except a Tribe isn't necessarily locked into a geographical region (though this is practically the case, there is no law that declares it so). A Drott leads a more fluid size - a people. Effectively, the Drott serves as an overlord who settles affairs between clans and is responsible for inter-tribe relationships. The Tribes The Tribes were originally separate indigenous people and cultures from the same region, but they have merged together into what is generally thought of us "Nordmarians". The Tribes are essentially Duchies - though their borders are quite unusual, as they do not necessarily live apart. Nordmarians of one tribe can live in the same region as Nordmarians from another tribe, but the two will be under different tribal leadership despite being neighbors on the same land, though this naturally rarely is the case. The leader of a Tribe is called a Drott. The tribes still matter a lot to the Nordmarians though - one can switch tribes, but it's difficult to outrun one's birth tribe as something people will judge and weigh one by - even several generations down the line, people may still make remarks about it. = Bjornin = The Bjornin tribe makes it's home in the root of the region known as the Crab's Pincer - specifically in the South of it. They were among the only Nordmarians to have farmable land - but they desired more. Their close proximity to the Mark Lands and to Orlais made them adopt a lot of foreign culture, and was the Bjornin who introduced the concepts of aristocracy to Nordmar and formed it into an actual Kingdom. The Bjornin do not have much of a tribal identity anymore - they have become very tolerant and have learned the art of marrying to create bonds and alliances, which is what has kept them on the Nordmarian throne for generations. Unfortunately, as a result, they also squabble a lot for power and their culture is heavily diluted. The Bjorning were never a strong tribe, but they had food and the woods and the hills offered good protection - when they eventually acquired technology, such as weapons, armor and Mark Land combat training - they easily defeated their fellow Nordmarian tribes, because they fought each of them one-on-one with superior odds. They also hired some Mark Land mercenaries, which incidentally inspired a lot of Nordmarians to do Mercenary work. The Bjorning have adopted a new version of their tribal symbol - inspired by Orlesian Coats of Arms. Supposedly - the Bjorning share ancestry with some Halflings that live in the same area - the Bjorning are according to legend - named for their hairy bodies, but that doesn't explain why the Bjornin are generally very tall and broad-shouldered, living (in full) up to their name, which means "of the bears". Considering that quite a few halflings live in the Bjornin lands, it's not entirely unlikely that they do share some genes with the halfings - and it is known that they learned farming from the halflings, but their history is otherwise mostly forgotten. Another, popular rumor, speaks of the Baerserkr having once been particularly numerous among the Bjornin. = Ulving = The Ulving tribe are forest dwellers who live deep in the woods on the East Pincer. They are known for the incredibly close connection to Nature - and for having a unique religion, which is a sub-cult of the Nordmarian Faith dedicated to druidism. The Ulvings seem to largely share elven blood, and are the only of the tribes to have shunned the Dwarves - they are very xenophobic against anyone but elves, werewolves and other members of their own tribe. The Ulvings taught the rest of Nordmar the value of Werewolves as allies - hence why Nordmar is so open to Lycanthropes, as they practically speaking use them as unpaid Slayers. The Ulvings all live in the same forest and they share unique racial traits and religion, binding them very tight - there's not very many of them though. The Ulvings are known to be incredibly fast, agile and endurant - some say they can track by scent. When the Ulvings howl - it means you've intruded on their territory - they guard the heart of their woods jealously. = Vetna = The Vetna are a tribe of Nordmarian hardy Mountain folk. The Vetna are known for the fact that they, though a lengthy period of time warred with Goblinoids and Giants. The Creatures would raid the Vetna villages, rape the women and try to kill as many of the men as they could and take the children as slaves. The Vetna men responded by doing the same to the Goblinoids and Giants and so it went on for generations, until eventually the Vetna and their foes were fairly difficult to distinguish from each other - the foes having diluted their blood so much from human interbreeding with both slaves and half-breeds from the result of rapes, and the Vetna having taken on distinctive non-human traits. There still isn't quite peace, but the Vetna have settled their differences with some of the enemy tribes, some of which even consider themselves part of the Vetna. Saying that one looks like an Vetna is definitely not a compliment in Nordmar. Though only an idiot would say that to the face of an Vetna - they may not rank among the smartest Nordmarian tribes, but there are none hardier and stronger. = Ravna = The Ravna populate the Islands - they are defenders of the original Nordmarian faith and extremely conservative. Every single Nordmarian Island has some sort of important holy structure on it, tended by the Ravna who dedicate their very lives to the gods. The Ravna are, like the Ulvings, a very small and nor particularly diverse tribe - as Islanders one can expect a certain amount of incest, and they've recently had to adopt a culture of forced and arranged marriages across the Islands, as they are very reluctant to marry their children outside the tribe. It's said however, that the incest is perhaps partially intentional, because; while it may cause all of them to look quite undesirable, it's said that 1 in 10 is born with strange supernatural powers. The tribe is named after the Nordmarian myth that the Raven is the herald of the God of Gods - Nord himself. While that may just be a rumor, there is certainly something mysterious about the Ravna - some few hundred years ago, the Cosmological church launched a crusade against the Ravna Islands because a missionary had reported back some, apparently very disturbing things. The entire fleet was swallowed by a gigantic kraken as they were closing on their destination, and the valuables that drifted ashore made the Ravna even richer. Among the disturbing rumors, is that - the Ravna encourage the Nordmarian Raiders of the Arna tribe, to bring back humans - they do so frequently as they sell them as slaves - but the ones donated are supposedly used for human sacrifices, and some of the rituals involve cannibalism and gruesome torture. = Arna = The Arna live by the coastal stretches of either of the Pincers - they were originally many smaller tribes but were subjugated through warfare and have had a collective tribal identity for generations. The Arna are hard folk of the sea - they fish and trade, many of the regions they inhabit are not good for much farming - so they also drive cattle and hunt game where they can. Whether it is their poverty or their nature that drives them - the Arna are known for their tendencies towards piracy and raiding. They frequently assault other settlements and raid, pillage, loot, rape and kidnap. The raids primarily target Orlais and sometimes Novera. They quickly learned to stay away from the Riverans who were quick to adapt to the Nordmarian's raiding techniques and copied them and used their stolen knowledge to dominate the sea with their expert naval warfare and raider inspired Royal Marines. Orlais still to this day pays a tribute to Nordmar to prevent raiding - Since then, Nordmarians rarely raid Orlais, rather the Orlesians have started hiring the Nordmarians as mercenaries. Now the Arna tend to raid mostly in the Northern parts of Avalon, where Goblinoids and people described by the Arna as the "strange folk" live. They also sometimes raid the Orient. The Arna are fierce warriors who laugh in the face of death and somehow always seem to figure out the most efficient ways of killing others. They are known to storm half-naked into battle, high on various drugs and half drunk - laughing as they drink the blood of their enemies, rape their corpses and mutilate themselves with painful scarification and branding. Or so the rumors go. = Gali = The Gali are small and incredibly stocky men who live in the marshy regions primarily found by the foot of the large mountain chains. The Gali are known to share heritage with Dwarves, and they are perhaps the oldest Nordmarian tribe - Way back, all Nordmarians descend from the Gali, but the Gali have continued their close relationship with the Dwarves. All Nordmarians speak of the Baerserkr - rare few Nordmarians who seem to possess an ability to fall into a blinding battle-rage that makes them practically undefeatable. Among the Gali, it isn't just a rare legend - the Gali - like the Dwarves - are Caste-Based in their society, and their entire warrior Caste consists entirely of Baerserkr. They say that if you enrage a Gali - you should first have settled your affairs. In general, the Gali are known to be unusually robust and sturdy - In the famous words of Drot Mugli of the Gali - "If you intend to fight me, you had best be prepared to kill me" and indeed, they had to, because even with a spear in his gut and cuts every where, Mugli did not stop fighting until his head was removed from his body. The Gali have small villages where they are found some of the year - they are known for their underground tunnels though - Not even the Gali like the swamps they inhabit some of the year. During the winter, the Gali live under the mountains with the Dwarves though. Religion The Nordmarian faith is truly confusing, but it is incidentally very similar to both the Elven Faith and the Imperial Faith. Nordmarians as a people, escaped Elven captivity before the people who would go on to become the Imperials. This goes a long way to explain why their religious beliefs differ considerably from the Imperials. The Nordmarian Gods are actually the same as the the Imperial Gods, but the mythology behind each religious figure is only moderately similar, though the hierarchy and portfolio remains largely the same. The key difference is, the Imperials believe that Gods and Planets are one and the same, but that the Gods can choose to appear in a humanoid form. The Nordmarians believe that the Gods are always in humanoid form, and that the planets the individual realms of the Gods - entire worlds made in the image of those Gods. This is also why Gaia is of particular importance to the Nordmarians, being the planet they live on - and as such the God who is closest to them. The Nordmarians believe that humans are taken by Morr (Mors), to the world they are claimed by when they die. Those who die in battle are taken to Sangard (Sanguine), the God of War and to his world, where eternal battle and eternal glory is everlasting. Those who do not die in battle are claimed by a god whom their life was in devotion to, for instance an artisan would go to Deverars (Deveros), where they will construct monuments in honor of the legacy of the people for eternity and so it goes. As such, the true difference between Nordmarian faith and Imperial Faith is fairly small and easily overlooked and has never really been the subject of conflict, but one part of the Nordmarian Faith which is often called heretical is the Nordmarian belief that their ancestors continue to guide them and watch them from the afterlife. This belief is outright shamanistic, and as such, there are two main religious authorities in Nordmarian faith - Druids who are believed to be Gaia's Priests by the Nordmarians, and whom are essentially the ultimate authorities on the surface of the planet (though who rarely choose to meddle in human affairs), and Shamans who are beholden to local communities, where they are specifically beholden to the ancestors and the living legacy of the local households and families. Traditions Nordmarians are a very conservative people who are ridden with traditions. No traditions are common and identical for all Nordmarians, but a few, and all the tribes have their own individual traditions. = Common Traditions = * When a child is old enough to talk and walk, the parents begin to evaluate the child, and once they believe the child is responsible, they grant the child a Knife. The knife is a symbol of responsibility and trust. The knife itself has no outward value and most are replaced many times through out a Nordmarian's lifetime, as a mere blade is of no significant importance as such, but when the knife is given it represents the parents permitting the child to carry a knife, which is believed to be a Nordmarian symbol of essentially being human - the ability to use tools is what the Nordmarians believe set humans aside from animals. It is very embarrassing for a child not be given a knife before they turn 7, and the ritual also serves to force children to mature in order to gain the trust necessary. * When a child turns 10, it is expected that the child has taken a life. Traditionally, boys are taken hunting at some point and are expected to land a kill, and dress the kill and then eat it (or at least part of it - if the kill is too large to be consumed in one meal, which is occasionally the case, then the tradition calls for the heart to be eaten). Girls are typically merely asked to butcher a farm animal which they then cook and serve for the household, except in the Ulving tribe where girls are always taken hunting as well, though choosing this route is not necessarily exclusive to the Ulving. * Nordmarians have very strict traditions in regards to what a man must possess to be considered an actual adult. Prior to being considered a candidate for marriage, a man must have served his term in the Legion. Occasionally it is permitted to marry for a man, if he has not yet done this, and this is a true sign of friendship between the households that join together, often wavering the further requirements; as a man is further more required to own a round-shield painted with the chosen colors and symbols of his household, he must own a hatchet and a bow (both symbols of being able to provide) and in the Arna Tribe he must even own a boat. In most other tribes, the requirement to own a boat is replaced by a requirement to hold something else - the Vetna requires a man to own a herd of a certain number of heads, pending the chosen species of livestock and the Ulving require that the man owns the necessary equipment to be a hunter and that he has recognized hunting grounds (typically a campsite, shelter, lean-to or a cabin somewhere in the nearby woods or plains that they have stakes as theirs by hunting there actively) as well as a trained dog or other hunting animal, and the Bjornin demand merely a sign of wealth (at no specific rate), the Gali demand that the man owns enough land to supply for a family, where as the Ravna do not believe in such insolent matters and demand only that a man has undergone the grueling trials of manhood and lived. * Hatchets, bows and knifes are not considered weapons in Nordmarian culture. If one disarms a man down to where he doesn't even have a knife, its considered the equivalent of having taken him prisoner, and it is considered totally insulting, though at the same time Nordmarians frequently use their knives for violence. Bows and hatchets are regarded as tools, so people are normally free to carry them - interestingly, it is being in possession of a shield that is regarded as being armed, and can be viewed as a sign of hostility. * Swords are a symbol in Nordmar like they are everywhere else, mainly of being a dedicated man of war (a warrior). Carrying a sword in public is however not something done lightly in Nordmar. Local rulers can freely do this, as can their immediate relatives by association, though carrying a Sword marks a person as a warrior and under their own protection. If a man who isn't an actual soldier serving in some capacity was to be attacked in a village and he carried a sword, the local militia would likely not come to his assistance and might not stop the fight unless it looks like his attackers, provided they are under the protection of the militia, look to be losing the confrontation. * A man who does not own an axe is regarded as a cripple. Looked upon with pity and also with belittlement. Influences: Medieval Scandinavia, Vikings, Roman-Era Pict people and Medieval Celtic Culture